Welcome to the year 2021. Where Donald Trump has been banned from Twitter, ‘Keeping Up With The Kardashians’ has been cancelled and a whole different ball game of social media trends have erupted from beneath us. Times are changing, and all of us digital nomads need to be able to keep up in this crazy digital world.
There are so many questions when it comes to figuring out the best way to market yourself or your business, and it all seems to be evolving ever so quickly right before our eyes. We know. It can be a little tricky to keep up. So, lucky for you, we’ve created a list of the top trends we think you should be following this year.
5 digital marketing trends you should be following in 2021
Influencer Content
Yes, we're bringing Instagram influencers into this. But we’re not talking about the ones with millions of followers, we’re talking about the smaller ones. The micro-influencers. Because you best believe they bring a lot of engagement. And between us, they’re actually more cost effective for your biz. We know what you might be thinking. ‘But they don’t have THAT many followers?’. You’re right, they don’t. But that’s exactly why we’ve got our eye on them. Their smaller following allows them more time to interact with their fans and we truly believe that real influence lives in the number of clicks, likes, comments and purchases.
Also, keep in mind that micro-influencers have niche followings. So, if you’re a skincare brand trying to, let’s say, increase brand awareness, you want to work with a micro-influencer who is a skin care fanatic. Because it’s extremely likely that those who follow them, are also die-hard skincare fans themselves.
UGC Content
For those that aren’t aware, UGC stands for user-generated content. And it is hands DOWN, one of the best ways to market your product or service. Trust us one this one. The days where professional videographers and photographers were the only ones to do the job for you are long gone. Now, thanks to our little smartphone sidekicks, anyone has the ability to generate their own content and publish it online (bonus points if it impacts your brand in a positive way). It’s a cheap, effective way to get your message out there, and a great way to gain a better understanding of your audience and what they enjoy and engage with most.
Imagine this. It’s a sunny day in Spring. You go to that cool cafe you’ve been eyeing off for ages. You sit down. Order your meal. And when it comes out, you take a snap of the food on your table. You enjoy your time, before heading home and uploading one of the hundreds of photos you took onto Instagram. You tag the cafe and share it with those that follow you. That photo has now become user-generated content. And the cafe is now able to use that image as part of their own marketing strategy.
Interactive Content
Interactive content is a concept that has been around for quite a long time. However, it’s only just started to blossom in the digital world. Polls, questionnaires, giveaways, surveys. All these things are interactive. At the very least, they allow your audience to stay engaged with you for that little bit longer, but ultimately, they help you improve your overall customer experience. If you allow your audience to feel as though they have an opinion of their own, you’ll find that they feel more of a connection to your brand. In the long run, it’ll work in your favour.
Sustainability
Sustainability. A massive topic of conversation in 2021. And pretty on par with other global topics such as inequality, violence and corruption. All extremely important, may we add. Most people make a conscious effort to support companies that they know are putting some good back into the world. And so, if your company is truly trying to be as sustainable as they possibly can, why wouldn’t you put emphasis on that fact and promote it? Welcome to the 21st century, where no one wants to give their hard-earned dollar bills to businesses that don’t quite have our planet's best interest at heart. Make sure you’re staying hella loud and hella proud! Don’t be afraid.
Targeting an Audience
Segment your audience by certain personality traits, shopping behaviours or demographics. We know it might seem like a lot, maybe even a little overwhelming, but it’s the most effective way to bring in the audience that you want.
Let’s put it into a little more (picos) perspective. Imagine you’re standing in a room. You have a group of 50 people in front of you, randomly handpicked, waiting to hear what you have to say. You’re about to talk about this new cyber security course you’ve recently completed and why the people standing in front of you should also complete it. Now, how many people do you think will sign up?
Let’s take a step back. Imagine you’re standing in that same room. This time, you have a group of 50 people in front of you, but they all have a background in IT. Will they understand the terminology you use? Most likely. Will they be more interested in what you have to say? Probably. How many people do you think will sign up now that we have a different audience? Rather than just targeting a general audience, you can now target certain people based on their location, age and a whole lot more. You’ll find it makes such a difference to your overall strategy.
Take these into account. Think about them when you’re figuring out your killer social media strategy. Because most of them should play a part somewhere down the (social) track. And if you’re needing any further help with your social game plan, don’t hesitate to holla at us. We’re a team who love baked goods and banter *hint hint*. But above all else, we’re creative thinkers. So we won’t back down from a creative challenge.
